Live For Christ

Focus: Philippians 1:20 - KJV

20. According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

Romans 14:7-9

When a merchant purchased a slave, he took over his totality. Hence, slaves were viewed as valuable merchandise in the hands of the merchant and treated as such by others. Christ purchased us by His blood and thereby, we became His slaves/servants, even though because of His love for us, He decided of His own to treat us not as slaves but as friends. The point however is, since He bought us, our totality belongs to Him and we ought therefore to lead our lives in line with that thought. Our bodies and entirety, should be for Him. So, whether we live or we die, we should be His to glorify and not be in any way ashamed of being His slaves in our bodies, for all that He paid and went through.

Hagar was Sarah’s slave (maid). Sarah therefore, had all the right over Hagar’s body and being, as her slave, which accounted for why she could command her to go in and lie with her husband so that through her body, which was younger, Sarah may have a child. When it appeared that Hagar was being heady because she was mother of Abraham’s son, because her entirety still was Sarah’s, she was banished from the home from Sarah’s say so. Sarah only needed Abraham’s node because of the boy Ishmael. Potiphar owned the totality of Joseph when he was sold to him in Egypt. In life and death, Joseph’s body was his and so he could send him to jail for an indefinite period. The owner of the slave owned him completely without any reserved right to the slave.

The Lord is reminding us of the clear position in our relationship with Him. We are to always remember that Christ bought us over before translating us into the family of God and therefore, like Hagar or Joseph, we must not forget that our bodies belong to Christ, our purchaser. Whether we live or die therefore, we must do it unto Christ without shame. No matter what we face as believers, we must know that we owe all things to Christ. Just like Joseph, we must not be vile with the Potipharesses that unduly use us for Christ, our Potiphar’s sake. No shame, no struggle, no regret. Just for Christ’s sake.

Please pray:

Father, I thank you for making me a part of your family despite being ordinarily a slave. I pray for the enablement to be able to retain sanity in you whenever the enemy directs temptation my way, in Jesus’ name. Let me never assume too much of myself to refrain my body from your pleasure, in Jesus’ name. Help me to always keep my body under so as to satisfy you alone therewith, in Jesus’ name. In all I do, whether live or die, help me to keep my body and life for you exclusively, in Jesus’ name.

Please share with others. God bless you.